Lenovo have announced the latest Moto X smartphone… and it’s called the Moto Z. The new phone still sits at the top of the Motorola lineup, but the name has changed and it’s two models now instead of one. Interestingly, the new Moto Z phones take a cue from the LG G5, with modular backplates that allow for improved battery life, new looks and extra features.
There are two models here: the Moto Z Force (the longer lasting high-end version) and the Moto Z (the cheaper, less powerful option). The Z is incredibly thin for a smartphone, measuring just 5.2mm and weighing 136 grams, while the Force is a still-slight 7mm and 163 grams. For comparison, the iPhone 6S is 7.1mm and the Galaxy S7 Edge is 7.7mm.
The phones sport 16 gold contacts on the back, allowing them to connect to a range of magnetically attached backplates Lenovo is calling MotoMods. These range from simple aesthetic alternatives in a range of colours and materials, including wood and leather, to more functional items. For example, you can add an extra 2200mAh of power courtesy of an Incipio battery mod, loud JBL speakers or a even a picoprojector capable of producing a 70-inch virtual screen (in near darkness, one assumes). The mods are intended to fit future Moto Z models, and Motorola are preparing more for release in the future.
Both Moto phones come with an aluminium body, with a fingerprint reader below the 5.5-inch 2560 x 1440 AMOLED screen. The Z Force comes with a massive 21-megapixel camera on the rear with laser autofocus and OIS, and a 13-megapixel unit up front; on the Z you get the 13-megapixel sensor on the rear and only 8-megapixels for the selfie cam. The dynamic continues when it comes to the batteries, with the Z having a meagre 2600mAh and the Force boasting a 3500mAh monster. The Z Force also has a ‘Shattershield’ screen, which is more resistant to cracks and scratches than Gorilla Glass.
Internally, the phones are equally powerful, with a Snapdragon 820 CPU backed with 32 or 64GB of expandable storage and 4GB of RAM. They run Android Marshmallow, with Motorola’s usual helpful software additions.
The new Moto Z models also don’t include a 3.5mm jack, a growing trend for high-end smartphones. LeEco’s latest smartphones dropped the 3.5mm port to allow for a thinner design and higher-quality USB-C headphones, and it’s much the same story here. Expect this story to play out a lot more over the months and years to come, particularly if rumours that the iPhone will drop the 3.5mm jack play out as predicted.
The move to USB-C allows the inclusion of high-quality DACs and more powerful headphone amps, as well as the leap to digital ‘high-resolution’ audio. Of course, Lenovo are happy to offer USB-C headphones to complement the device, and we expect to see many more USB-C headphones before the year is out. There’s also a USB-C to 3.5mm adapter in the box, so you’ll still be able to use your existing 3.5mm headsets if you really want to.
The Moto Z and Z Force are expected to arrive in September, although the Z Force will be an American exclusive for the immediate future. It’s sad that the higher-end model won’t be available (initially at least) in the UK and Europe, but the regular Z still looks like a pretty awesome handset.
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Thanks for sharing this amazing information about the two new product of Motorola which is Moto Z & Moto Z force both the mobiles are good features loaded and spec. are also good